Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 84243 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 231129–0282; RTID 0648– 

XD485] 

Adjustment to Sector Annual Catch 

Entitlements Under the Northeast 

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary final rule; 

adjustment to specifications. 

SUMMARY: This final rule announces 

allocation carryover from fishing year 

2022 into fishing year 2023 for the 

Northeast Multispecies sectors program. 

This action is necessary to distribute 

carryover quota to sectors. The 

carryover adjustments in this rule are 

routine and formulaic, and industry 

expects them each year. 

DATES: Effective January 4, 2024, 

through April 30, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz 

Sullivan, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978) 

282–8493. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 

18, 2023, NMFS published a final rule 

approving Framework Adjustment 65 to 

the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) (88 FR 56527), 

which revised the rebuilding plan for 

Gulf of Maine cod, set annual catch 

limits (ACL) for 16 of the 20 groundfish 

stocks and 2023 ACLs for 3 shared U.S./ 

Canada stocks, and made a temporary 

modification to the accountability 

measures for Georges Bank cod. This 

rule distributes unused sector quota 

carried over from fishing year 2022 to 

fishing year 2023. 

Sector Carryover Allocations From 

Fishing Year 2022 

Carryover regulations at 50 CFR 

648.87(b)(1)(i)(C) allow each groundfish 

sector to carry over an amount of 

unused annual catch entitlement (ACE) 

up to 10 percent of the sector’s original 

ACE for each stock (except for Georges 

Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder) that is 

unused at the end of the fishing year 

into the following fishing year. NMFS is 

required to adjust ACE carryover to 

ensure that the total unused ACE 

combined with the overall sub-ACL 

does not exceed the acceptable 

biological catch (ABC) for the fishing 

year in which the carryover may be 

harvested. NMFS completed the 2022 

fishing year data reconciliation with 

sectors and determined final 2022 

fishing year sector catch and the amount 

of allocation that sectors may carry over 

from the 2022 to the 2023 fishing year. 

Accordingly, the available carryover of 

unused ACE from fishing year 2022 to 

fishing year 2023 has been reduced for 

the following stocks: GB cod; GB 

haddock; Gulf of Maine (GOM) 

haddock; Cape Cod/GOM yellowtail 

flounder; witch flounder; GB winter 

flounder; Southern New England/MidAtlantic (SNE/MA) winter flounder; 

redfish; white hake; and pollock. The 

stocks for which carryover is the full 10 

percent of the original quota allocation 

from fishing year 2022 are GOM cod, 

SNE/MA yellowtail flounder, plaice, 

and GOM winter flounder. Complete 

details on carryover reduction 

percentages can be found at: https://

www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

ro/fso/reports/h/groundfish_catch_

accounting. 

Table 1 includes the maximum 

amount of allocation that sectors may 

carry over from the 2022 to the 2023 

fishing year. Table 2 includes the de 

minimis amount of carryover for each 

sector for the 2023 fishing year. If the 

overall ACL for any allocated stock is 

exceeded for the 2023 fishing year, the 

allowed carryover harvested by a sector, 

minus the pounds in the sector’s de 

minimis amount, will be counted 

against its allocation to determine 

whether an overage subject to an 

accountability measure occurred. Tables 

3 and 4 list the final ACE available to 

sectors for the 2023 fishing year, 

including finalized carryover amounts 

for each sector, as adjusted down when 

necessary to equal each stock’s ABC. 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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Table 1 -- Finalized C ACEf1 Fishine: Y 2022 to Fishine: Y 2023 (lb) 

.. .. .. .. .. 

.... .... 't:: :a ·; .. "Cl "' "' = .. "Cl = .. 

.... .... 0: .. --= = i i .. = = .. "' "' ..a '"' 0 't:: = 0 .... .. 't:: 0 

0: .s .. .s 1- 0 --= 't:: r.:;:; 0 .. = 0 r.:;:; ..a --= = .. -.. = r.:;:; 

u '"' '"' "Cl .. 't:: .. 't:: .. 

"Cl "Cl 0 0 0: ·; .... = .... = '"' 0 .. ~] Sector 0 "Cl "Cl 

= :§ r.:;:; .. .. 0 

i i! i; .. .... u u 0 "Cl 't:: -= .... .5 

i:1:1 0: 0: o- = 

i:1:1 c., = = .s Ci:-. '"' Ii-, c., c., 0 .; ;t:: i:1:1 i:1:1 c., ;,.. ..a -- :z: c., c., :z: u i:1:1 00 i:1:1 00 u c., 0 c., c., 

FGS 0 5,375 417 0 20,944 259 0 7 2,138 2,916 1,514 24 4,976 592 

MCCS 0 1,002 9,498 0 41,080 17,594 0 84 8,029 90,193 16,987 917 4,933 1,094 

MOON 0 5 578 3 013 0 51,761 5 291 0 30 3,779 4 981 2 500 1 163 1 765 1 477 

NEFS2 0 2,982 14,232 0 142,736 29,549 0 42 28,430 55,488 17,803 3,936 13,443 2,449 NEFS4 0 1,990 6,644 0 78,611 12,732 0 78 8,015 55,244 12,217 852 4,607 599 NEFS5 0 221 192 0 10,908 163 0 607 1,189 2,530 851 525 523 6,235 NEFS6 0 1,452 1,741 0 48,462 6,307 0 177 5,250 26,424 8,285 2,120 2,946 1,152 NEFS8 0 4,705 1,487 0 131,910 8,130 0 261 8,715 45,372 9,133 36,938 2,460 6,150 

NEFS 10 0 246 1 556 0 2.388 1 907 0 20 5,570 7 071 2 926 13 5 843 367 

NEFS 11 0 184 6,753 0 468 3,994 0 0 2,859 9,072 2,145 3 1,241 13 

NEFS 12 0 293 1,606 0 1,267 1,563 0 1 6,534 4,563 860 0 6,380 156 

NEFS 13 0 4,322 383 0 287,161 1,296 0 830 8,063 49,654 12,473 23,877 1,104 10,526 

SHSl 0 3,424 2,831 0 129,067 18,952 0 66 6,142 80,413 16,651 14,156 2,092 3,479 

SHS2 0 2,242 898 0 28,922 2,063 0 157 7,094 14,522 3,088 3,829 2,596 3,997 

SHS3 0 7 864 3 974 0 347.081 29 083 0 287 12,826 108 847 24 835 24072 1 926 12 413 

Total 0 41,880 55,225 0 1,322,766 138,883 0 2,647 114,633 557,290 132,268 112,425 56,835 50,699 

Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector (FGS), Maine Coast Community Sector (MCCS), Mooncusser Sector (MOON), Maine Permit Bank (M

Permit Bank (NHPB), Northeast Fishery Sectors (NEFS), and Sustainable Harvest Sector (SHS). 

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Table 2 -- De Minimis C ACE ti - - Fishine: Y 2022 to Fishine: Y 2023 (lb) 

.. .. Q,l - .. Q,l 

.... .... "O ·; ·; Q,l "O "' "' = .. "O = .. = Q,l .ad i i Q,l .... .... .. = Q,l = = .... "' "' r-1 0 "O = 0 

= Q,l "O 0 fZ 0 .. .s .. t. 

r-1 0 .ad .ad "O = Q,l - Q,l = .s fZ 

u .. .. "O Q,l "O Q,l "O Q,l = .... 

"O "O 0 0 = ·; >, = >, = .. 0 .. i] 

Sector 

0 "O "O = ·; fZ .. Q,l 

0 i ii g Q,l .... u u 

0 "O "O is:: -= .... = 

= = o- = 

= = c., = = .s c., .... .. r-1 .... c., 0 .; .<;:: c., = = c., >, r-1 -- z c., c., z u = 00 = 00 u c., 0 c., c., 

FGS 0 957 39 0 3,804 62 0 1 341 510 270 7 236 95 

MCCS 0 187 967 0 8,302 4,236 0 19 1,357 18,404 3,108 291 1,053 217 

MOON 0 1,009 390 0 9,584 1,313 0 6 659 1,079 463 343 382 246 

NEFS2 0 531 1,471 0 25,921 7,123 0 9 4,974 11,306 3,244 1,160 2,940 401 NEFS4 0 615 685 0 14,276 3,069 0 17 1,394 11,152 2,228 251 994 98 NEFS5 0 39 20 0 1,694 39 0 117 201 366 128 116 113 974 NEFS6 0 244 167 0 8,384 1,519 0 36 840 5,170 1,470 413 592 182 NEFS8 0 1,278 167 0 34,762 2,468 0 84 1,929 11,935 2,195 13,722 563 1,584 

NEFS 10 0 44 153 0 434 459 0 4 900 1,421 537 4 1,220 60 

NEFS 11 0 33 696 0 83 948 0 0 497 1,788 390 0 268 2 

NEFS 12 0 41 185 0 229 372 0 0 1,822 941 158 0 1,365 26 

NEFS 13 0 1,027 40 0 49,733 314 0 169 1,408 10,148 2,227 6,941 243 1,695 

SHSI 0 560 364 0 23,558 4,388 0 19 784 19,857 3,489 3,708 393 437 

SHS2 0 211 117 0 7,056 1,527 0 20 1,155 4,194 850 977 621 496 

SHS3 0 1,242 295 0 50,820 5,651 0 57 2,185 15,173 3,406 7,001 392 2,026 

Total 0 8,018 5,756 0 238,640 33,488 0 558 20,446 113,444 24,163 34,934 11,375 8,539 

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Table 3 -- Total ACE Available to Sect • Fishine: Y 2023 includine: Final C (mt) 

.... .... "O - ·; - ·; 

-

- "O -

"' "' .:.:: = .... 

-

.... = = 

"O = 

- .... 

= = .... .... "' "' .s "O = 0 = "O 0 0 - .s - ·= 

0 .:.:: .:.:: "O r-. = 

- = .s = 

u "O 

- "O "O r-. 

"O 0 0 = ·; >- = >- = .s Sector 

- 

0 "O "O "O = ·; r-. 

- 0 .... < 

g .... E

u u "O "O .... = 

0 = = -= = 

= .s o- = 0 r-. .... 

z >- z ---- u 00 

00 u 0 

FGS 16 30 2 24 158 3 0 0 16 24 13 0 13 MCCS 3 6 48 52 344 200 2 1 65 876 149 14 50 MOON 16 32 19 60 399 62 1 0 32 51 22 16 18 MPB 0 0 3 1 4 18 0 0 3 63 8 0 3 

NEFS2 9 17 73 161 1,079 337 1 0 238 538 155 54 139 NEFS4 10 19 34 89 594 145 2 1 67 531 107 12 47 NEFSS 1 1 1 11 71 2 1 6 10 18 6 5 5 NEFS6 4 8 8 52 350 72 2 2 40 246 70 20 28 NEFS 8 21 39 8 216 1,420 116 23 4 91 562 104 639 27 NEFS 10 1 1 8 3 18 22 0 0 43 68 26 0 58 NEFS 11 1 1 35 1 3 45 0 0 24 85 19 0 13 NEFS 12 1 1 9 1 10 18 0 0 86 45 8 0 65 NEFS 13 17 32 2 309 2,077 15 30 8 68 483 107 326 12 NHPB 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 

SHS 1 9 18 18 147 981 208 4 1 38 937 166 175 19 SHS2 3 7 6 44 289 70 2 1 56 197 40 46 29 SHS3 20 40 15 316 2,146 270 12 3 105 738 166 328 19 

Total 131 252 293 1,486 9,944 1,600 80 27 983 5,463 1,164 1,636 545 4
BILLING CODE 3510–22–C Classification 

NMFS is issuing this rule pursuant to 

305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery authority for implementing this action. 

(MSA), which provides specific 

Conservation and Management Act 


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Table 4 -- Total ACE Available to Sectors in Fishing Year 2023 including Final Carryover (11000 lb

.... .... "O - ·; 

- ·; 

-

- "O -

"' "' .::c = .... 

-

.... = = 

"O = 

.... 

= = .... CJ .

"' "' 0 0 "O = .s = .

"O 0 - .s - 

0 .::c .::c "O = 

- = .s 

u CJ CJ "O 

- "O "O = 

"O "O 0 0 = ·; >- = >- = CJ .s 

-

~

Sector "O 

= ·; 

- 0 0 "O .... 5 .... 

u u "O "O .... = 

0 = = -= = 

C, = = .s CJ 0 .... C, C, z 

C, C, >- z u 0

C, 00 u C, 0 C, C, 

FGS 34 67 4 52 349 6 0 0 36 54 29 1 29 MCCS 7 13 106 114 757 441 4 2 144 1,931 328 30 110 MOON 36 70 42 131 879 137 2 1 70 113 49 35 40 MPB 0 1 7 1 9 39 0 0 7 138 18 0 6 

NEFS2 19 37 161 356 2,379 742 3 1 526 1,186 342 120 307 NEFS4 22 41 75 196 1,310 320 4 2 147 1,170 235 26 104 NEFS5 1 3 2 23 157 4 2 12 21 39 14 12 12 NEFS6 9 17 18 115 772 158 4 4 89 543 155 43 62 NEFS8 46 86 18 477 3,131 255 51 9 202 1,239 229 1,409 59 NEFS 10 2 3 17 6 40 48 0 0 96 149 57 0 128 NEFS 11 1 2 76 1 8 99 0 0 53 188 41 0 28 NEFS 12 1 3 20 3 21 39 0 0 189 99 17 0 143 NEFS 13 37 70 4 682 4,578 33 66 18 149 1,064 235 718 25 

NHPB 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 

SHS 1 20 39 39 323 2,162 458 8 2 85 2,066 366 385 41 

SHS2 8 16 13 97 638 155 5 2 123 434 88 101 65 

SHS3 45 87 33 697 4,732 594 26 6 231 1,626 365 724 41 2

Total 289 556 645 3,275 21,922 3,528 176 58 2,166 12,043 2,567 3,606 1,201 9
84248 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

Section 305(d) authorizes NMFS to take 

action to carry out provisions in FMPs 

and of the MSA. In a previous action 

taken pursuant to section 304(b), NMFS 

approved the Council designed 

provisions in the FMP to authorize 

NMFS to annually adjust and distribute 

sector carryover consistent with MSA 

requirements to prevent overfishing and 

achieve optimum yield. See 

§ 648.87(b)(1)(i)(C). The NMFS Assistant 

Administrator has determined that this 

final rule is consistent with the 

Northeast Multispecies FMP, other 

provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, and other applicable laws. 

This final rule is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), 

NMFS finds good cause to waive prior 

public notice and opportunity for public 

comment on the allocation adjustments 

because allowing time for notice and 

comment is impracticable, unnecessary, 

and contrary to the public interest. 

Notice and comment would be 

impracticable, unnecessary, and 

contrary to the public interest, as the 

distribution of unused quota carried 

over from the previous fishing year is an 

annual adjustment action that is 

expected by industry. These 

adjustments increase available catch, 

and sector vessels will be able to fish for 

this additional catch as soon as this 

action is in effect, which will provide 

increased operational flexibility and 

ability to catch its available allocation. 

They are routine, formulaic, and 

authorized by regulation. The public 

had prior notice and opportunity to 

participate in the development of and 

comment on the regulations 

implementing this process and expects 

this adjustment each year. Delaying 

these adjustments would result in a 

delay in the distribution of unused 

carryover to sectors, and could negate or 

reduce the intended economic benefits 

and increased operational flexibility 

provided by these adjustments. 

Carryover from 2022 was only recently 

finalized because it is based on data that 

was not available until the fall upon the 

conclusion of the catch accounting 

process for fishing year 2022. 

Also, because advanced notice and 

the opportunity for public comment are 

not required for this action under the 

Administrative Procedure Act, or any 

other law, the analytical requirements of 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 

601, et seq., do not apply to this rule. 

Therefore, no final regulatory flexibility 

analysis is required and none has been 

prepared. 

This final rule contains no 

information collection requirements 

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: November 30, 2023. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26655 Filed 12–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 230224–0053; RTID 0648– 

XD343] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher/Processors Using Hook-andLine Gear in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/ 

processors using hook-and-line (HAL) 

gear in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to prevent exceeding the 2023 

Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) 

apportioned to catcher/processors using 

HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), December 1, 2023, 

through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Abby Jahn, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act). Regulations governing fishing by 

U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subparts H of 50 CFR parts 

600 and 679. 

The 2023 Pacific cod TAC 

apportioned to catcher/processors using 

HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA is 562 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2023 and 2024 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA (88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), 

the Regional Administrator has 

determined that the 2023 Pacific cod 

TAC apportioned to catcher/processors 

using HAL gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA will soon 

be reached. Therefore, the Regional 

Administrator is establishing a directed 

fishing allowance of 552 mt and is 

setting aside the remaining 10 mt as 

bycatch to support other anticipated 

groundfish fisheries. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional 

Administrator finds that this directed 

fishing allowance has been reached. 

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting 

directed fishing for Pacific cod by 

catcher/processors using HAL gear in 

the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

While this closure is effective, the 

maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 679, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there 

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment on 

this action, as notice and comment 

would be impracticable and contrary to 

the public interest, as it would prevent 

NMFS from responding to the most 

recent fisheries data in a timely fashion, 

and would delay the closure of Pacific 

cod by catcher/processors using HAL 

gear in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the GOA. NMFS was unable to publish 

a notification providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of November 29, 2023. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries, NOAA also finds good cause 

to waive the 30-day delay in the 

effective date of this action under 5 

U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is based 

upon the reasons provided above for 

waiver of prior notice and opportunity 

for public comment. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: November 30, 2023. 

Michael P. Ruccio, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26660 Filed 11–30–23; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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